Insecticide



Patented May 5, 1942 IN SECTICIDE v Albert G. Mohr, Berkeley, Calif,assignor to Stauifer Chemical Company, San Francisco, Califi, acorporation of California No Drawing. Application November 16, 1939,Serial No. 304,710

13 Claims.

This invention relates to certain compounds useful as insecticides,either alone or in combination with other materials, in the control ofpests such as citrus thrip.

The control of citrus thrips, for example, has long been a grievousproblem to the citrus grower. While it has been known that nicotine wasuseful against this pest, the cost of treating a citrus grove was sohigh that the vast majority of growers preferred to take their chanceson the ravages of the pest rather than dust the grove with a nicotinecarrying material.

The insecticides of the present invention are manufactured by knownmethods. They can be successfully applied either as a Wet spraycomposition or as a dust. Depending upon the characteristics of theparticular compound chosen, a wide range of water solubilities areprovided, while other materials are possessed of hygroscopic powers sothat, when applied as a dust, the materials tend to remain wet. This isof advantage because the dry material is usually dusted together with asweetening agent such as sugar and the like to attract the pest. Sugarmaintained wet is attractive to the insect pests.

The present invention deals broadly with a class of compounds containingthe antimonyl group, the Sb group. In these compounds, organicderivatives of antimony, the antimony, instead of being bonded directlyto a carbon atom, is separated therefrom by an oxygen atom. Thecompounds can be readily prepared, for example, by reacting, underreflux, the desired salt of the hydroxy acid whose antimonyl is to beformed with freshly prepared antimony oxide.

As suitable salts I have successfully employed the lithium, sodium,potassium, ammonium, calcium, barium, strontium, and magnesium salts, aswell as these in combination, including sodium calcium, potassiumlithium, calcium lithium, calcium potassium, zinc calcium, zinc sodium,as well as metals such as zinc, aluminum, and the like. The double saltsusually are low in water solubility and therefore crystallize readily.

The insecticides of the present invention are broadly antimonyls ofsaturated monoor polyhydroxymono-carboxylic acids containing an alphahydroxy group. This broad class includes glycollic acid, the severallactic acids, sarcolactic acid, and the homologous alpha-hydroxy-acidsof secondary or tertiary alcohols, including alphahydroxybutyric, alpha-hydroxyisobutyric, the several alpha-hydroxyvaleric acids, thealphahydroxycaproic acids, and higher alpha-hydroxyfatty acids such asalpha-hydroxy-n-caprylic acid, di-n-propylglycollic acid,alpha-hydroxydi n propylacetic acid, alpha-hydroxy-di-isopropylaceticacid, di-isobutylglycollic acid, and methylnonylglycollic acid. Thehydroxy group should be in the alpha position with respect to thecarboxylic group.

Polyhydric-mono-basic acids containing a hydroxy group in the alphaposition can also be used, including mannonic acid, gluconic acid, andother acids generally obtained by the fermetation or oxidation ofsugars.

In utilizing the compounds of the present invention they can be appliedas water solutions, about a pound to four pounds to gallons of water inthe spray tank being employed, the composition including a suitablesweetening agent to attract insects to the trees or the vegetation. Inthe case of moth and like insect treatments the compounds are made up ina concentrated form with a suitable attractant.

When employed as a dust, the dry compounds can be mixed with a suitableinert carrier such as walnut shell flour, peach pit flour, apricot pitflour, wood flour, talc, pumice, bentonite, diatomaceous earth, or anactive insecticide such as sulfur, together with a sweetening agent.However, I prefer that the material be added to the dry composition inwet form and permitted to either crystallize out, or else be taken up bythe carrier, together with the sweetening agent on the dry carrier,drying the carrier mass if desirable and then milling it to finelydivided form. A small amount of a suitable inert conditioning materialsuch as starch, talc, or the like can be added to the mass to keep it infree flowing condition during storage. As a sweetening agent one canemploy any one of the suitable sugars of suilicient sweetness such asfructose, invert sugar, sucrose, glucose, or mixtures of these or othermaterials such as molasses and various sweet carbohydrate syrups,refined and unrefined. Usually the dry dusting materials are made up tocontain about five pounds of the antimonyl, five pounds of sweeteningagent, and

f ninety pounds of dry carrier.

I claim:

1. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated monobasic aliphatic acid containingan alpha hydroxy group.

2. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated monobasic aliphatic acid containingonly one hydroxy group and that in the alpha position.

3. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl deri vative oi a saturated dihydroxy monobasi'c aliphatic'acid' containing an alpha hydroxy group.

4. An insecticide comp0siti0n containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated polyhydroxy monobasic aliphatic acidcontaining an alpha hydroxy group.

5. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a lactic acid.

6. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated monobasic aliphatic acid containingan alpha hydroxy group, said derivative containing two differentelements as the positive ion portion in addition to the Sb0 group.

7. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated monobasic aliphatic acid containingonly one hydroxy group and that in the alpha position, said derivativecontaining two different elements as the positive ion portion inaddition to the 8110 group.

8. An insecticide composition containing as an essential ingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated dihydroxy monobasic aliphatic acidcontaining an alpha hydroxy group, said derivative containing twodifferent elements as the positive ion portion in addition to the Sb0group.

9. An insecticide composition containing as an essential fingredient, anantimonyl derivative of a saturated polyhydroxy monobasic aliphatic acidcontaining an alpha hydroxy group, said derivative containing twodifferent elements as the positive ion portion in addition to the Sb0group.

10. An insecticidal composition comprising water, a sugar dissolvedtherein, and an insecticidally effective concentration of an antimonylderivative of a saturated monobasic aliphatic acid containing an alphahydroxy group.

11. An insecticidal composition comprising water, a sugar dissolvedtherein, and an insecticidally effective concentration of an antimonyllactate.

ALBERT C. MOI-IR.

